This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Thursday's slate is heavy on day games. Of the 10 matchups, seven of them have early start times. Among the day games is an intriguing matchup between Clayton Kershaw and Hunter Greene, two pitchers at very different stages of their career. The reigning AL Cy Young award winner will also take the mound when Robbie Ray faces off against the Athletics. Despite there only being three night games, two of them are great matchup between the Yankees and Astros, and the Padres and Phillies. The main Yahoo slate consists of all 10 games, so let's get down to business and highlight some players to consider for your entries.
Pitchers
After getting shut out by George Kirby on Wednesday, the Athletics now have to face Ray ($48). He's been great his last two starts, allowing one run and recording 14 strikeouts over 14 innings. He didn't exactly face easy lineups, either, in the Red Sox and Angels. With the A's having the worst OPS in baseball, Ray is a great option.
Kyle Wright ($39) was hit hard in his last start, allowing five runs across six innings against the Cubs. He did have eight strikeouts, though, to give him a 27.4 percent strikeout rate for the season. He's used his improved ability to miss bats to generate a 2.94 ERA and a 2.71 FIP, overall. While the Giants don't have the easiest of lineups to navigate, they have struck out the 11th-most times in baseball, so Wright could continue to thrive in that department.
Rolling with pitchers against the Pirates is usually not a bad idea. They have been awful, scoring the third-fewest runs. This might be the night to take a chance on Justin Steele ($31), who has been serviceable for the Cubs with his 4.27 ERA and 3.47 FIP.
Top Targets
After a one-game absence because of back soreness, Paul Goldschmidt ($27) returned in style Wednesday by hitting a home run against the Brewers. He's launched 17 homers this season, posting a 1.041 OPS that is on pace to be the highest mark of his career. Expect him to be a difficult out for Jason Alexander ($25), who has a 1.70 WHIP over his first four starts in the majors.
Aaron Judge ($23) is on pace to put up some crazy numbers. He hit two more home runs Wednesday, giving him 27 for the season. Now he'll return to Yankee Stadium, where he has a career .312 ISO. Framber Valdez ($44) will start for the Astros, and he's been good with a 2.78 ERA and a 3.32 FIP, but with how hot Judge is right now, he's still a great option.
Bargain Bats
Normally known of his power, Max Kepler ($12) only has seven home runs and a .405 slugging percentage. On the bright side, his .342 OBP is on pace to be the highest mark of his career. He's a viable target for a matchup against Zach Plesac ($31), who has allowed a .372 wOBA to left-handed hitters this season.
When the Cardinals take on the Brewers, Dakota Hudson ($34) will be on the mound for St. Louis. His 3.31 ERA looks nice, but it's difficult to have much confidence in him given his 4.25 FIP and 11.0 percent walk rate. For those looking to attack this matchup, don't sleep on Rowdy Tellez ($11), who currently has a career-high 9.0 percent walk rate to go along with his 11 home runs.
Stacks to Consider
White Sox vs. Dean Kremer ($25), Orioles: Tim Anderson ($20), A.J. Pollock ($15), Andrew Vaughn ($18)
Don't read too much into Kremer allowing just two runs (one earned) across 11 innings in his last two starts. He faced the Royals and Rays, two teams with struggling lineups. Across 20 career starts, he has a 6.06 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP. This is a great spot to roll with the White Sox, and Pollock has been one of their hottest hitters. Over the last 13 games, he is 21-for-60 (.350) with a home run and four doubles.
Padres vs. Ranger Suarez ($31), Phillies: Luke Voit ($18), Ha-Seong Kim ($10), Jorge Alfaro ($13)
It's been a disappointing season for Suarez, who looked so good last year for the Phillies. As a full-time starter now, he has a 4.43 ERA and a 4.26 FIP, while watching his strikeout rate drop to 18.8 percent. His 1.51 WHIP isn't helping his cause, either. Among the Padres' hitters who could thrive in this matchup is Alfaro, who is 12-for-32 (.375) with three home runs and four doubles over his last eight games.
Rockies vs. Braxton Garrett ($26), Marlins: C.J. Cron ($19), Connor Joe ($13), Brendan Rodgers ($14)
The Marlins are dealing with a lot of injuries to their starting rotation, meaning Garrett will remain a starter despite his 1.54 WHIP across three outings. Last season, he had a 1.82 WHIP across 34 innings, so his inability to keep hitters off base is not new. This could be a great spot to roll with a Rockies stack, despite the game not being played at Coors Field. Cron is a great choice for the center piece of any Rockies stack given his career .356 wOBA versus left-handed pitchers.
